Very few leaders of Bangladesh have worked only to establish the rights of the grassroots throughout their entire lives. Maolana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani is one of them. His long political career of protest against the oppression and corruption of British, Pakistani and pro independent Bangladeshi government famed him as the Leaders of the Oprressed. On the occasion of his 37th death anniversary on 17th November we are paying tribute to this great leader by remembering his contributions.

! Maolana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was born on 12th December, 1880 in Shirajganj district. He studied at Deoband Madrasha, the famous centre of Islamic education in India.
! His entire educational career he was completely free from any kind of colonial influence.
! Maolana's political career of protest began by joining the Khelafat movement in 1917. On 1930 he was elected as the President of Muslim League.
! He used to summon huge gatherings of peasants to make them aware of their rights. The largest of these conferences took place at Bhashan Char of Assam. Thus Bhashani was added to his name by the oppressed peasants as a tribute.
! Owing to his leaning to the left, often dubbed "Islamic Socialism", he was nicknamed " The Red Maulana".
! Bhashani became vocal with Pakistani politics of depriving Bengal. During the Kagmaree Conference on 7–8 February 1957 Bhashani said "good bye" ("Assalamu Alaikum") to the West Pakistani authority.

! In 1969 Bhashani launched a movement to withdraw the Agartala Conspiracy Case and for the release of Sheikh Mujib and other co-accused persons
! Bhasani had organised an International Kisan (Peasant) conference in 1970 in Toba Tek Singh District.
In the beginning of the liberation war while crossing border to join Tajuddin Ahmed Bhashani was stopped by the Indian army and after a meeting with Indira Gandhi he was kept in confinement at Dehradun, during the entire duration of the war. He was barred from participating in any political activity.
! Being fed up with dictatorial set up and corruption of the post-liberation government Bhashani again became vocal to establish the commoner's rights.
! On February 25, 1972, Bhashani started publishing a weekly Haq Katha.
! In May 1976, at the age of 96 he led a massive Long March demanding demolition of the Farakka Barrage. The Barrage was constructed by India to divert flow of Ganges waters inside its territory, triggering the drying up of river Padma and desertification of Bangladesh
! In the same year on 17th November, this great leader of the oppressed proletariats died.

References
! Biography of Bhashani, Muktadhara
! Facebook page Majlum Jananeta Maolana Bhashani
! https://www.facebook.com/MojlumJononeta
– MSKC